Chairs for Charity, SOFA, Sales and More…

We know you’re having world-class art-fest withdrawal after Expo Chicago’s amazing run earlier this fall had your knees buckling

By Alice Oglethorpe

Published Nov. 1, 2012

SOFA = So Fab

We know you’re having world-class art-fest withdrawal after Expo Chicago’s amazing run earlier this fall had your knees buckling. So, it’s a good thing that the art-world staple SOFA is back at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall this weekend. This three-day affair features sculpture objects and functional art, contemporary and modern art and design, non-traditional and visionary art, and more. This year, there is also a special focus on studio art glass as the American Studio Glass Movement celebrates its 50th anniversary (the movement started in Toledo in the early 1960s)—and yes, you guessed it, amazing works by Dale Chihuly will be on display, in addition to pieces by other masters of the craft and rising stars on the scene. General admission is $15, three-day passes are $25; Nov. 1 preview night tickets are $50. Hours are Friday, Nov. 2 and Saturday, Nov. 3, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 4, noon to 6 p.m. For more information, go to sofaexpo.com.

Party with Chicago Home + Garden

It’s that time of year again. Mark your calendars for Chicago Home + Garden magazine’s third annual Chairs for Charity event. It will take place on Wednesday, November 7 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Cosentino Center-Chicago (1060 W. Division St.). What’s it all about? For this event, some of Chicago’s top designers have given thrift-shop finds the ultimate makeover. Check out—and bid on—one-of-a-kind chairs by Francince Turk, Soucie Horner, Erik Kolacz, Lance Lawson, Michele Fitzpatrick and more. And, of course, enjoy appetizers, wine, and beer while bidding on your favorites. Tickets cost $35. Proceeds from the auction and a portion of ticket sales will support the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA). Join us in recognizing good design for a good cause. (Shown here is the amazing chair designer Gary Lee created for last year’s event—yeah, we’re not messing around here!)

Feeling Blu?

When it comes to beautifully designed modern homegoods that look like they cost two times what they actually do, Milwaukee-based Blu Dot is high up on the list. The company makes furniture, lamps, pillows, rugs, accessories, and more. And, right now, Blu Dot is in the middle of its annual 20/20 sale—offering 20 percent off all designs for 20 days. You still have time to get in on the deals—the sale goes through November 8th. Find the goods online at www.bludot.com or at I.D. on North Halsted.

Deep Cuts

Unison’s housewares offer high design without too many frills—helping explain why its products work so well in such a huge range of décors. This weekend is the company’s Fall Warehouse Sale, meaning you can stock up on favorites or pick up a few new items on the cheap. Discounts range, with some as deep as 80 percent off. And this isn’t a sale with a few random cast-offs—you’ll find bedding, blankets, pillows, quilts, duvets, sheets, housewares, and accessories. For example, the Ellison Queen Quilt, shown here, has gone from $225 to $56 and the throw pillows are only $14 to $21. Plus, bring ten cans or boxes of non-perishable food with you to donate to the Greater Chicago Food Depository and you’ll get another 10 percent off your purchase. The sale runs Friday through Sunday at 2000 W. Fulton St. (the entrance is in the back of the building on W. Carroll Ave.).